Prince William’s moving letter to girlfriend of Capital Riot cop who died after attack

Estimated read time 6 min read


Prince William sent a letter of condolence to the partner of a Capitol Police officer who died after being assaulted by pro-Trump rioters during the January 6 insurrection. 

Sandra Garza, the girlfriend of Brian Sicknick, 42, revealed on CNN that the Duke of Cambridge had written to her following the officer’s death. 

Sicknick was one of the on-duty officers badly outnumbered by the mob who stormed the US Capitol building, smashing windows and breaking through barriers. He was sprayed with a chemical, collapsed and a day later had a stroke and died.

In the letter, Prince William wrote to Garza: ‘Please forgive me if I am intruding but I wanted to write and let you know how sorry I am about the death of your partner, Brian.’

Prince William said he had seen footage of the ‘harrowing events that took place at the Capitol’ and wanted to pay tribute to Sicknick’s ‘patriotism and selflessness’.

In the letter, Prince William wrote to Garza: 'Please forgive me if I am intruding but I wanted to write and let you know how sorry I am about the death of your partner, Brian.' Prince William said he had seen footage of the 'harrowing events that took place at the Capitol' and wanted to pay tribute to Sicknick's 'patriotism and selflessness'

In the letter, Prince William wrote to Garza: ‘Please forgive me if I am intruding but I wanted to write and let you know how sorry I am about the death of your partner, Brian.’ Prince William said he had seen footage of the ‘harrowing events that took place at the Capitol’ and wanted to pay tribute to Sicknick’s ‘patriotism and selflessness’

Brian Sicknick with his partner Sandra Garza before he died following the Capitol Hill riots

Brian Sicknick with his partner Sandra Garza before he died following the Capitol Hill riots

Prince William sent a letter of condolence to the partner of a Capitol Police officer who died after being assaulted by pro-Trump rioters during the January 6 insurrection

Prince William sent a letter of condolence to the partner of a Capitol Police officer who died after being assaulted by pro-Trump rioters during the January 6 insurrection

Brian Sicknick

Brian Sicknick

‘By all accounts, Brian performed valiantly whilst on duty and despite suffering injuries continued to do his utmost to protect those inside,’ the Duke wrote.

He added that he hoped it gave Garza some small comfort to know that ‘thanks to law enforcement officers like Brian that the situation did not escalate further and democracy was upheld’.

Prince William continued: ‘I know that words cannot hope to provide comfort to you at this dreadful time but I wanted to let you know that Brian’s family are very much in my thoughts.’   

Garza told CNN that former President Donald Trump had not sent her a message of condolence. 

‘Trump does not give two c**ps about law enforcement or Brian and yet Prince WIlliam took the time to honor me and Brian’. 

Sandra Garza, the girlfriend of Brian Sicknick, revealed on CNN that the Duke of Cambridge had written to her following the officer's death

Sandra Garza, the girlfriend of Brian Sicknick, revealed on CNN that the Duke of Cambridge had written to her following the officer’s death

Trump supporters wave banners and swarm the Capitol on January 6, 2021

Trump supporters wave banners and swarm the Capitol on January 6, 2021

Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge and Prince William, Duke of Cambridge attend Royal Ascot 2022 at Ascot Racecourse on Friday in Ascot, England

Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge and Prince William, Duke of Cambridge attend Royal Ascot 2022 at Ascot Racecourse on Friday in Ascot, England

Two other officers took their own lives in the days after the riots, and more than 150 police officers were hurt — including one officer who had a heart attack and others who suffered traumatic brain injuries and permanent disabilities. Some may never return to the job.

On Thursday, Capitol Hill Police Officer Caroline Edwards recounted ‘slipping in blood’ and rioters calling her ‘Nancy Pelosi’s dog’ while she was defending the Capitol Building on January 6 during the House January 6 select committee’s first primetime hearing. 

Edwards saw Sicknick fall and was herself knocked unconscious after a bike rack was thrown on her. She suffered a traumatic brain injury from the blow. 

‘I was slipping in people’s blood,’ said Edwards, one of two in-person witnesses the committee called to testify before an audience on Capitol Hill. 

‘I was catching people as they fell. It was carnage. It was chaos. I can’t even describe what I saw. Never in my wildest dreams that as a police officer would I find myself in the middle of a battle.’ 

She said that what she witnessed was out of a movie. ‘What I saw was just a war scene,’ the officer recounted. 

Capitol Police Officer Caroline Edwards recounted the harrowing scene she encountered defending the U.S. Capitol Building from pro-Trump rioters on January 6 during the House January 6 select committee's first primetime hearing Thursday

Capitol Police Officer Caroline Edwards recounted the harrowing scene she encountered defending the U.S. Capitol Building from pro-Trump rioters on January 6 during the House January 6 select committee’s first primetime hearing Thursday

US Capitol Police Officer Caroline Edwards (R) greets Sandra Garza, the longtime partner of late Capitol Hill Police Officer Brian D. Sicknick, after she testified during a House Select Committee hearing on June 9

US Capitol Police Officer Caroline Edwards (R) greets Sandra Garza, the longtime partner of late Capitol Hill Police Officer Brian D. Sicknick, after she testified during a House Select Committee hearing on June 9

‘I felt the bike rack come on top of my head and I was pushed backwards and my foot caught the stair behind me and my chin hit the handrail and then – at that point I blacked out – but the back of my head clipped the concrete stairs behind me,’ she said. 

Cheney asked the officer if she was knocked unconscious and she answered in the affirmative. 

‘Yes ma’am,’ Edwards answered to Cheney’s second question – whether she returned to duty. 

Edwards said she tried to hold the West Front of the Capitol and was overpowered there. Washington, D.C.’s Metropolitan Police Department officers showed up to assist, allowing Edwards to fall behind the line.

‘For awhile I started decontaminating people who had gotten sprayed and treating people medically who needed it,’ she recalled. ‘So after awhile I got back on the line, it was on the House side of the lower west stairs … and officer Sicknick was behind me.’ 

‘All of the sudden I see movement to the left of me, and it was officer Sicknick with his head in his hands and he was ghostly pale,’ she said. ‘Which I figured at that point he had been sprayed, and I was concerned. My cop alarm bells went off.’ 

She said if Sicknick would have been hit with pepper spray he would have turned red, not pale.

Sicknick died the next day. His family members were in the audience Thursday night.  

 ‘And so I looked back to see what had happened, what had hit him and that’s when I got sprayed in the eyes as well,’ she said. ‘I was taken to be decontaminated by another officer but we didn’t get a chance because I got tear-gassed.’ 

In February, Sicknick became only the fifth person in history to lie in honor in the Capitol Rotunda, a designation for those who are not elected officials, judges or military leaders. He was interred at Arlington National Cemetery. 

DailyMail.com has contacted Kensington Palace for comment. 



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